Improved snow-plough



P. VON LACKUM.

Car-Trabk. Clearer.

, No. 71.249. I Patented Nov. 19-, 1867.

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IMPROVED SNOW-PLOUGH.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, PETER VONLAGKUM, of the town of Elba, county of Winona, and State of Minnesota, have invcnted'a new and improved Snow-Plough for cleaning snow from a railroad track; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same.

My invention consists in constructing a snow-plough, or device for clearing railway tracks of snow and ice, in a novel manner, whereby it is specially adapted for use-in cold latitudes or regions.

To enable others to construct and use my invention, I'will proceed to describe-it.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved snow-plough complete.

Figure 2 is a representation of a wheel to be used therewith. Y

To construct mysnow-plough, I first provide a strong truck-frame, A, and build thereon a secondary frame, A, which is inclined at an angle of about twenty-five degrees, its front end being made to project over the front end of the truck-frame A, and its rear end being supported by strong upright timbers B, as represented in fig, 1. The front part of the inclined frame A, being suitably covered over with plank, is then covered with iron, to render it strong, and protect it from wear, the front end projecting down so as to nearly reach the track, the

front portion thus forming a plain or smooth inclined surface for about one-third of the entire length of the-- frame A. At the termination of this smooth incline there commences a division, It, at the centre, extending backward, gradually rising with an increased curvature, as shown in the figure; and from this point or division line there is built up on each side, and extending backward and outward, two curved wings D, these wings being built to resemble'somewhat the form of the mould-board of a plough, the concavity ,of their outer surfaces being greatest along their central portion, as represented in the drawing. At the front of the frame A I secure, on each side, a strong vertical iron bar, a; and these are connected at the top by a similar cross-bar, b; and these bars are held securely in place by means of the side-braces c and horizontal brace 0, arranged as repre scntcd in the drawing, there being also a curved bar, (1, having its lower end secured to'the incline, nearly in.

line with the side-bars a, and its upper end secured to the horizontal brace e, the front edge of all these bars being brought to an edge on their front, for the purpose of enabling them to cut the hard snow-drifts which frequently form on the railway tracks in high latitudes.

In order to break up the ice which is sometimes formed on the track, especially during storms of rain and sleet followed by extreme cold, I construct one or more pairs of wheels with ribbed flanges, as represented in fig. 2, these flanges serving to cut and crush the ice which may chance'to be formed or lie alongside of the rails.

In extreme northern latitudes it is known that the snow and ice there formed often falls in a damp state, and then becomes frozen very hard in consequence of the extreme cold, and thus becomes a most serious obstruction upon the railways; but, by means of my improved snow-plough, I am enabled to remove these obstructions with a facility hitherto unknown. The sharp bars first cut the snow, which is then raised upon the incline C, the bar (Z separating or cutting itat the centre, and the wings D then turning it off at each side as the plough progresses.

It will be observed that there are no walls or plates at the sides to prevent the snow from being readily discharged therefrom by the wings D, and the smooth easy incline at the front permits it to rise very gradually, while the bars cut the portion to be removed entirely loose, thus enabling the instrument to perform its work with great ease and rapidity.

Having thus described myinvontion, what I claim, is-- 1. The snow-plough, consisting of the front incline C, the double-concave wings 1), and the cutting-bars a, b, and d, all constructed and arranged to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

2. I claim the wheels E, when provided with the corrugated flange, as herein shown and described.

PETER VONLAGKUM.

Witnesses MICHAEL Zrennrcn, ALFRED J. OLDs. 

